Hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

A hand-held vacuum cleaner with a container for the storage of dirt and debris therein. To provide improved efficiency and performance, the hand-held vacuum may employ a primary HEPA filter, a device for swirling a dirt and debris laden air flow and/or a mechanized filter cleaning device. Swirling may be employed to direct entrained dirt and debris in a desired direction relative to the container to slow the rate with which dirt and debris accumulates on the primary filter and/or to centrifugally remove dirt and debris from the air flow. Mechanized cleaning is employed to shake, scrape or otherwise remove accumulated dirt and debris from the primary filter.

The present invention generally relates to hand-held portable vacuumcleaners and improvements thereto.

Typically, hand-held portable vacuum cleaners employ a motor that ispowered by either a main supply of electricity (i.e., a source ofalternating current power) or a battery pack, which may be rechargeable,to drive an impeller. Rotation of the impeller generates an air flowwhich entrains therein dirt and debris which enter the vacuum cleanervia an inlet. One or more filters may be employed to retain the dirt anddebris within the vacuum.

One problem with such vacuum cleaners concerns the relatively rapid ratewith which the efficiency and performance of such vacuum cleaners maydeteriorate. Specifically, the use of such vacuums to collect relativelysmall sized particles can rapidly load the filter and substantiallyreduce the amount of air that passes therethrough. When filter loadingis encountered in the known hand vacuum configurations, the user mustdisassemble the vacuum, remove the filter, clean (or dispose of andreplace) the filter and replace the filter. In some situations, the usermay be reluctant to perform the tasks of removing and cleaning thefilter due to the unwholesomeness of the material that has accumulatedon the filter. In situations where the filter is heavily loaded, thevacuum will have a relatively low efficiency and consequently, vacuumingtasks will take longer, the vacuum will experience greater wear, and ifbattery powered, the user will be able to perform relatively fewervacuuming tasks per charge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one form, the present teachings provide a hand-held portable vacuumhaving a housing, an impeller that is at least partially disposed in thehousing, a dirt cup and a HEPA filter. The dirt cup, which is removablyattached to the housing, includes an inlet and defines a container forstorage of dirt and debris therein. The HEPA filter is disposed betweenthe impeller and the inlet.

In another form, the present teachings provide provides a method forfiltering a dirt and debris laden air flow. The method includes:providing a hand-held vacuum with a housing, an impeller, an inlet, acontainer and a primary filter, the housing including a handle thatpermits a user to employ the hand-held vacuum for vacuuming with asingle hand, the impeller being disposed within the housing, the inletbeing configured to receive the dirt and debris laden air flowtherethrough, the container being configured to retain dirt and debrisremoved from the dirt and debris laden air flow and the primary filterbeing disposed between the impeller and the inlet; rotating the impellerto generate the dirt and debris laden air flow; and swirling the dirtand debris laden air flow about the interior of the container.

In yet another form, the present teachings provide a hand-held portablevacuum including a housing with a handle, a dirt cup, an impeller atleast partially disposed in the housing, a filter and a filter cleaningdevice. The dirt cup, which is removably attached to the housing, has aninlet and defines a container for storage of dirt and debris therein.The filter, which is disposed between the impeller and the inlet, isformed with a plurality of pleats. The filter cleaning device is coupledto at least one of the housing and the dirt cup and includes at leastone rib and a hub. The hub is coupled to one of the filter and the riband configured to rotate the one of the filter and the rib about theother one of the filter to generate contact between the rib and thefilter to at least partially dislodge accumulated dirt and debris fromthe pleats.

In a further form, the present teachings provide a hand-held portablevacuum including a housing with a handle, a dirt cup, an impeller, afilter and a means for swirling the dirt and debris laden air in thedirt cup. The dirt cup, which is removably attached to the housing, hasan inlet and defining a container for storage of dirt and debristherein. The impeller is at least partially disposed in the housing andoperable for generating an air flow that flows through the inlet. Thefilter is disposed between the impeller and the inlet.

Further areas of applicability of the present teachings will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional advantages and features of the present invention will becomeapparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum kit constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a portion of the vacuum kit of FIG. 1illustrating the vacuum in greater detail;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view of the vacuum of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the vacuum of FIG. 2illustrating the dirt cup in greater detail;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view of the dirt cup of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section view of a portion of the vacuum of FIG.2 illustrating the dirt cup assembly in greater detail;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the interior of the dirt cupassembly;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the dirt cup assemblyillustrating the elbow in greater detail;

FIG. 10 is a top view of a portion of the vacuum of FIG. 2 illustratingthe housing assembly in greater detail;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of a portion of the housing assemblyillustrating a housing shell in greater detail;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the housingassembly;

FIG. 13 is a elevation view of a portion of the vacuum of FIG. 2illustrating the exhaust grille in greater detail;

FIG. 14 is section view taken along the line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side elevation view of a portion of the vacuum of FIG. 2illustrating the cleaning wheel in greater detail;

FIG. 16 is a front elevation view of the housing assembly;

FIG. 17 is a side elevation view of the housing assembly;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a portion of the housing assemblyillustrating the prefilter in greater detail;

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal section view of the prefilter;

FIG. 20 is a longitudinal section view of the primary filter;

FIG. 21 is a longitudinal section view of a portion of the housingassembly illustrating the second seal portion of the primary filter insealing engagement with the prefilter;

FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum and rechargingbase of FIG. 1;

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum and rechargingbase illustrating one means by which the, vacuum and recharging base maybe keyed to one another;

FIG. 24 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an injection moldfor forming the mating key that is associated with the vacuum in theexample provided;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a family of vacuums and rechargingbases constructed in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an alternately constructed prefilter;

FIG. 27 is a longitudinal section view similar to that of FIG. 3 butillustrating the prefilter of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of another alternately constructedprefilter;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of an alternately constructed vacuum;

FIG. 30 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a partial longitudinal section view of another alternatelyconstructed vacuum illustrating a lock-out device for inhibiting theoperation of the cleaning wheel;

FIG. 32 is a schematic illustration of another alternately constructedvacuum illustrating an electronic lock-out device for inhibiting theoperation of the motor when the cleaning wheel is rotated;

FIG. 33 is a sectional view taken along the line 33-33 of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a schematic illustration of yet another alternatelyconstructed vacuum illustrating a drive system for rotating the cleaningwheel under a source of power;

FIG. 35 is a schematic illustration of still another alternatelyconstructed vacuum illustrating another drive system for rotating thecleaning wheel under a source of power;

FIG. 36 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the vacuum ofFIG. 2 illustrating the battery pack and motor assembly in greaterdetail;

FIG. 37 is another exploded perspective view of the battery pack andmotor assembly;

FIG. 38 is an exploded side elevation view of the battery pack and motorassembly;

FIG. 39 is a bottom plan view of the battery pack as coupled to themotor assembly;

FIG. 40 is an exploded perspective view of an alternately constructedprimary filter;

FIG. 41 is a longitudinal section view of the primary filter of FIG. 40;

FIG. 42 is an exploded perspective view of another alternatelyconstructed primary filter;

FIG. 43 is a longitudinal section view of the primary filter of FIG. 42;

FIG. 44 is an exploded perspective view of yet another alternatelyconstructed primary filter;

FIG. 45 is a longitudinal section view of the primary filter of FIG. 44;

FIG. 46 is a rear view of another prefilter constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 47 is a bottom view of the prefilter of FIG. 46; and

FIG. 48 is a perspective view of yet another prefilter constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a vacuum kit constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention is generallyindicated by reference numeral 10. The vacuum kit 10 may include ahand-held cordless vacuum 10 a and an optional set of accessories 10 b.With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the vacuum 10 a may include a dirt cupassembly 12 and a housing assembly 14. In the particular exampleprovided, the dirt cup assembly 12 includes an inlet housing or dirt cup20 and an elbow 22, while the housing assembly 14 may include motorassembly 30, an outlet housing or housing 32, a filter system 34, afilter cleaning system 36 and a latch release 38 having a conventionallatch mechanism 40 and a conventional retaining tab 42 that may beintegrally formed with the housing 32.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the dirt cup 20 includes a wall member 50 that definesa container-like housing structure 52 and an inlet port 54 that may beformed through the housing structure 52 and which may extend rearwardlytherefrom. A pair of securing apertures 56 a and 56 b may be formed inand through the housing structure 52, respectively, and a plurality ofprefilter locating tabs 58 may extend inwardly from the wall member 50about the inside perimeter of the housing structure 52. Both thesecuring apertures 56 a and 56 b and the prefilter locating tabs 58 willbe discussed in additional detail, below.

The inlet port 54 may have a generally rectangular cross-sectional shapethat extends rearwardly from the housing structure 52 and terminates ata rearward face 60. As will be discussed in greater detail, below, thefront end of the inlet port 54 may be configured to frictionally engagevarious components of the accessory set 10 b (FIG. 1); while the rearend of the inlet port 0.54 may be configured to frictionally engage theelbow 22, which is shown in FIG. 6.

With reference to FIGS. 6 through 9, the elbow 22 may include anattachment portion 62 that may be sized to frictionally but removablyengage the rear end of the inlet port 54 and a body portion 64 thatturns the incoming air flow in a desired manner as will be discussed ingreater detail, below. The body portion 64 may be sized so as not tochoke or diffuse the air flow that is provided through the inlet port54. The interior of the dirt cup 20 (i.e., a cross section takenperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dirt cup 20) may be atleast somewhat circular in shape (i.e., lacking sharp corners—see, FIG.7) so as to promote the swirling of the inlet air flow about thelongitudinal axis of the dirt cup 20.

In FIG. 3, the motor assembly 30 may include a motor 70, a fan assembly72, a battery pack 74 and a power switch 76. The motor 70 may be aconventional DC motor having a motor output shaft 88. The fan assembly72 may be a conventional centrifugal fan that includes a fan or impeller90, which may be coupled for rotation with the output shaft 88, and afan housing 92. The fan housing 92 includes an inlet aperture 94 thatmay be centered about the rotational axis of the impeller 90, and one ormore discharge apertures 96, which may be located on a bottom side ofthe fan housing 92 generally transverse to the inlet aperture 94. Airthat is discharged from the discharge aperture 96 may be guided throughan associated flow channel 98 that is also integrally formed with thefan housing 92 in the particular example provided. The flow channel 98may direct the air downwardly and somewhat rearwardly.

The battery pack 74 conventionally includes a plurality of rechargeablebatteries 100, which are adapted to be electrically coupled to a sourceof electrical power, as through the recharging base 75 that isillustrated in FIG. 1. The battery pack 74 may be coupled to the motor70 and the power switch 76 in a conventional and well known manner. Inthe alternative, the battery pack 74 may be coupled to the motor 70 byway of an integrated snap connector 108 as illustrated in FIGS. 36through 39. The snap connector 108 may have a first portion 108 a thatmay be integrated with the motor 70 and a second portion 108 b that maybe integrated with the battery pack 74. The first portion 108 a mayinclude a circuit board 110 with a plurality of terminals, such asblade-type male terminals 112. The circuit board 110 may include all ofthe integrated circuits and solid state components that are employed forcontrolling the distribution of electrical power from the battery pack74 to the motor 70, as well as for controlling the charging of thebattery pack 74 (e.g., timers). The second portion 108 b may include aplurality of mating terminals, such as blade receiving terminals 114,that matingly engage the terminals of the first portion 108 a. In theparticular embodiment illustrated, the blade receiving terminals 114slidably receive the blade-type male terminals 112 to permit the motorassembly 30 to be coupled to the battery pack 74 prior to theirinstallation to the housing 32.

The battery pack 74 may further include a housing 120 having a pair ofengagement features 122 that co-engage mating features 124 (FIG. 11) topermit the battery pack 74 to be coupled to the housing 32 withoutseparate fasteners, etc. In the particular embodiment illustrated, theengagement features 122 are tabs and the mating features 124 are slotsthat are configured to receive an associated one of the tabs to therebyfixedly but removably couple the battery pack 74 to the housing 32. Atleast one of the tabs may be a cross-tab (i.e., a tab with two portionsthat are skewed to one another) that is configured to engage anassociated mating feature 124 in a manner that inhibits vertical andhorizontal movement of the cross-tab relative to the associated matingfeature 124. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the structureinto which the cross-tab is received defines a cross-slot (i.e., a slotwith two portions for receiving the two portions of the cross-tab), butas those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure, oneportion of the cross-tab may be disposed in the slot while the otherportion of the cross-tab abuts an end of the structure that defines theslot. Additionally, the housing 120 may house a pair of chargingterminals 126 that may be configured to extend through the housing 32 soas to be accessible by the recharging base 75 (FIG. 1) when the vacuum10 a is coupled thereto.

One suitable power switch 76 is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No.5,544,274, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully setforth herein. Briefly, the power switch 76 may include a conventionalslide switch 76 a that selectively enables or disables the transmissionof electric power therethrough to close or open the electrical circuitbetween the batteries 100 and the motor 70. The slide switch 76 a may befixedly coupled to the circuit board 110 in the particular exampleprovided and employed to move contacts into and out of electricalconnection with terminals on the circuit board 110.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 10 and 11, the housing 32 of the particularembodiment provided may include a pair of housing shells 150 a and 150 band an exhaust deflector 154. The housing shells 150 a and 150 b may beconfigured to be coupled together in a conventional and well knownmanner to define a switch mounting structure 160, a switch aperture 162,a latch mounting structure 164, the retaining tab 42 and a handle 168.The switch mounting structure 160 may be conventionally configured toreceive therein and support the power switch 76 of the motor assembly 30such that the power switch 76 extends through the switch aperture 162 soas to be actuate-able by the user of the vacuum 10 a.

The latch mounting structure 164 may be configured to receive thereinand support a conventional latch mechanism 40 having a latch member 170for engaging the securing aperture 56 a in the housing structure 52 ofthe dirt cup assembly 12 and a spring (not shown) for, biasing the latchmember 170 upwardly relative to the housing 32.

The retaining tab 42 extends outwardly from the housing 32 and definesan abutting wall 174. The retaining tab 42 may be configured to projectthrough the securing aperture 56 b when the dirt cup assembly 12 iscoupled to the housing assembly 14 to permit the abutting wall 174 tocooperate with the rear edge of the securing aperture 56 b to therebylimit forward movement of the dirt cup assembly 12 relative to thehousing assembly 14.

In the example provided, the handle 168 is integrally formed with thehousing shells 150 a and 150 b and may extend between the forward andrearward portions of the housing 32 and above the body of the housing 32to define therebetween a handle aperture 180 that is sized to receivethe hand of the user of the vacuum 10 a. Those skilled in the art willappreciate, however, that the handle 168 may be otherwise positionedand/or a discrete component that is joined or fastened to the remainderof the housing 32 in a known manner.

Except as noted below, each of the housing shells 150 a and 150 b may beconstructed in an identical manner so that further description of thehousing shell 150 a will suffice for both. With primary reference toFIG. 11 and additional reference to FIG. 12, the housing shell 150 aincludes a wall member 186 that may define a front wall 188, a centralcavity 196, an exhaust cavity 200 and a recessed area 202 through whichan elliptical through-hole 204 is formed. The wall member 186 may alsodefine a motor mount 206 and a hub mount 208, both of which beingdisposed in the central cavity 19.6.

The motor mount 206 may include first and second mount portions 206 aand 206 b, respectively, that are employed to fixedly couple the motor70 to the housing 32. The motor mount 206 may be configured to receivethe motor 70 in a snap-fit manner so that discrete fasteners and thelike are not required.

The hub mount 208 may include structure which, in association with thefan housing 92 in the example provided, serves to maintain the filtercleaning system 36 in a desired location along a longitudinal axis ofthe vacuum 10 a relative to the filter system 34. In the exampleprovided, the hub mount 208 includes first and second bearing portions208 a and 208 b, respectively, which are axially spaced apart along anaxis that is coincident with a rotational axis of the motor 70. Thefirst bearing portion 208 a may be semi-circular in shape so as to forma circular aperture when the housing shells 150 a, 150 b are coupled toone another. The second bearing portion 208 b may include a rear wall210 that may be generally transverse to the rotational axis of the motor70.

As is apparent from the discussion above, the fan housing 92 may formthe inlet aperture 94 and one or more discharge apertures 96 throughwhich air is introduced and discharged, respectively, from the fanassembly 72. In the particular example provided, the fan housing 92forms a volute that terminates at the discharge aperture 96. The flowchannel 98 may serve as a fluid conduit which couples the dischargeaperture 96 with the exhaust cavity 200.

With specific reference to FIG. 13, the exhaust deflector 154 mayinclude a frame 270 and a plurality of flow guiding vanes 272 that areset into the frame 270 and fixedly coupled thereto. The flow guidingvanes 272 of the particular embodiment illustrated are shaped so as todirect the air exiting the exhaust cavity 200 both downwardly andrearwardly.

With additional reference to FIGS. 3 and 14, the frame 270 of theexhaust deflector 154 may extend upwardly of the flow guiding vanes 272to create a pocket 276 into which may be fitted an optional exhaustfilter 280. The exhaust filter 280 operates to filter the air that exitsthe exhaust cavity 200 and thereby prevents fine dust particles frombeing expelled from the vacuum 10 a. The exhaust filter 280 may beformed from a non-woven mesh fabric so as to be washable should itbecome undesirably dirty or clogged. Those skilled in the art willappreciate from this disclosure, however, that the exhaust filter 280may be formed from another washable filter media or may alternately be adisposable type filter (e.g., paper). Those skilled in the art will alsoappreciate from this disclosure that the exhaust filter may beconfigured to provide HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtrationor ULPA (ultra low penetration air) filtration. As used herein, a “HEPA”filter will be understood as being capable of removing 99.97% ofparticles as small as 0.3 μm from an air flow, while a “ULPA” filterwill be understood as being capable of removing 99.999% of particles assmall as 0.12 μm from an airflow.

Returning to FIGS. 3 and 13, the frame 270 may also include a pair oftrunnions 284 and a pair of clip structures 286. The trunnions 284permit the exhaust deflector 154 to be pivotably coupled to the housing32. More specifically, each of the housing shells 150 a and 150 b mayinclude a recess (not specifically shown) for receiving an associatedone of the trunnions 284. Each trunnion 284 is illustrated as beingcoupled to a portion of the frame 270 that may be deflected laterallyinward (i.e., toward the centerline of the exhaust deflector 154) sothat the trunnions 284 may be installed to their respective recess whenthe housing shells 150 a and 150 b are coupled to one another. With thetrunnions 284 engaged to recesses, the exhaust deflector 154 may bepivoted between a closed position, wherein the rear surface of theexhaust deflector 154 covers the exhaust cavity 200, and an openposition, wherein the exhaust deflector 154 substantially clears theexhaust cavity 200.

The clip structures 286 are configured to resiliently deflect inresponse to the application of a modest force to the exhaust deflector154 to permit the exhaust deflector 154 to be secured to or releasedfrom the wall member 186 when the exhaust deflector 154 is moved into orout of the closed position. As will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art, engagement of the clip structures 286 to the wallmember 186 effectively maintains the exhaust deflector 154 in the closedposition. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that featuressuch as recesses or tabs 288 may be formed into the wall member 186 toserve as points that enhance or improve the ability of the clipstructures 286 to engage the wall member 186.

Returning to FIGS. 3 and 13, the top of the frame 270 of the exhaustdeflector 154 may be arcuately shaped to define a finger grip 290 thatis configured to receive the thumb or finger of the user of the vacuum10 a so that the thumb or finger may be employed to move the exhaustdeflector 154 out of the closed position. The finger grip 290 mayinclude a gripping feature, such as a raised lip, that permits the userto pry downwardly and outwardly on the exhaust deflector 154 with theirthumb or finger to thereby disengage the clip structures 286 from thewall member 186.

With renewed reference to FIG. 12, the filter cleaning system 36 mayinclude a cleaning wheel 300 that housed by the housing 32. Withadditional reference to FIGS. 3, 15 and 16, the cleaning wheel 300 maybe generally hollow and may include a gripping portion 302, a hubportion 304, a filter drive portion 306 and a filter engagement portion308. The gripping portion 302 may be an annular ring that may be coupledto the rearward side of the hub portion 304 and which may include aplurality of circumferentially spaced apart recesses 310. The hubportion 304 may define a bearing surface 312 that may be journallysupported by the housing 32. The filter drive portion 306 may be formedon a wall 314 that is coupled to the hub portion 304 generallytransverse to the bearing surface 312.

In the particular example provided, the filter drive portion 306includes a plurality of radially extending drive tabs 316 that arecircumferentially spaced apart from one another and collectivelyoriented concentric with the bearing surface 312. Those skilled in theart will appreciate from this disclosure, however, that the filterengagement portion 308, through frictional engagement or otherengagement with the primary filter 414, may also serve in whole or inpart as the filter drive portion 306.

The filter engagement portion 308 may be an elongated annular structurethat may extend forwardly from the wall 314 of the filter drive portion306. The cleaning wheel 300 may also include a grille 320 which inhibitsthe passage of relatively large objects from passing through thecleaning wheel 300 and contacting the impeller 90.

The cleaning wheel 300 may be installed over the fan housing 92 prior tothe installation of the motor 70 and fan assembly 72 to the housing 32,thereby permitting these components to be collectively assembled to oneof the housing shells (e.g., housing shell 150 a) substantiallysimultaneously. The cleaning wheel 300 may be positioned relative to thehousing 32 such that gripping portion 302 partially extends through theelliptical through-holes 204 in the recessed areas 202 of the housing 32as shown in FIG. 17. Once the cleaning wheel 300 has been installed tothe housing 32, movement of the cleaning wheel 300 in an axial directionalong the rotational axis of the motor 70 may be limited through contactbetween the gripping portion 302 and housing 32 along the perimeter ofthe elliptical through-holes 204. Additionally or alternatively, contactwith the fan housing 92 and the rear wall 210 of the second bearingportion 208 b (FIG. 11) may be employed to limit movement of thecleaning wheel 300 axially along the rotational axis of the motor 70.

The first and second bearing portions 208 a and 208 b of the hub mount208, however, cooperate with the bearing surface 312 to limit themovement of the cleaning wheel 300 vertically and horizontally relativeto the rotational axis of the motor 70, but permit the cleaning wheel tobe rotated about the rotational axis of the motor 70. The recesses 310in the gripping portion are specifically configured to be gripped by thethumb and/or fingers of a user of the vacuum 10 a to rotate the cleaningwheel 300.

In FIGS. 3 and 12, the filter system 34 may include an intake filter 400and the above-discussed optional exhaust filter 280. The intake filter400 may include a prefilter 412 and a primary filter 414. In FIG. 18 andwith additional reference to FIGS. 10 and 16, the prefilter 412 mayinclude a filter flange 420, a prefilter body 422 and a securing means424 for releasably securing the prefilter 412 to the housing 32. Thefilter flange 420 may extend radially outwardly from the prefilter body422 and may be configured to abut the front face 188 of the housing 32.The filter flange 420 may be unitarily formed with the remainder of theprefilter 412 from a material that is structural, such as polyethyleneor polpropylene. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, thatthe filter flange 420 could alternatively include a resilient band ofmaterial (not shown) that is coupled to the remainder of the filterflange 420, via a mechanical connection, adhesives or overmolding, andemployed to sealingly engage at least one of the housing 32 and the dirtcup 20.

With additional reference to FIG. 19, the prefilter body 422 may have atruncated cone shape, with a front wall 430 and a side wall 432 that hasa plurality of filtering apertures 434 formed therethrough. Thefiltering apertures 434 may be sized to prevent relatively coarse dirtand debris from contacting the primary filter 414 (FIG. 3). In theexample provided, the filtering apertures 434 are about 0.020 inch (0.5mm) to about 0.040 inch (1.0 mm) in diameter. In the particularembodiment provided, one or more ribs 436 are formed on the interiorsurface 438 of the side wall 432. The ribs 436 will be discussed ingreater detail, below.

As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from thisdisclosure, any appropriate means may be employed to removably couplethe filter flange 420 to one or both of the housing 32 and the dirt cup20. Preferably, the securing means 424 will not automatically detachfrom the housing 32 when the dirt cup 20 is removed from the housing 32.

In the particular example provided, the securing means 424 isillustrated in FIG. 18 to include a plurality of holes 440 that areconfigured to receive therethrough corresponding pegs 442 that extendfrom the front face 188 of the housing 32 as illustrated in FIG. 16. Theholes 440 may be shaped to directly correspond to the shape of the pegs442, but in the example illustrated, include first and second portions440 a and 440 b, respectively, that intersect one another. The firstportion 440 a is relatively large and configured to receive therethroughan associated peg 442, which is illustrated in FIG. 10 to include arelatively large head portion 442 a and a somewhat smaller body portion442 b. In contrast, the second portion 440 b is configured only toreceive therethrough the body portion 442 b of the associated peg 442.Accordingly, once the prefilter 412 has been installed over the pegs442, it may be rotated to position the body portion 442 b of the pegs442 into the second portion 440 b of the holes 440. As the head portion442 a of the pegs 442 is relatively larger than the second portion 440b, the filter flange 420 will remain attached to the housing 32 when thedirt cup 20 is removed, unless the filter flange 420 is rotated to alignthe pegs 442 with the first portion 440 a of the holes 440.

To guard against undesired rotation of the filter flange 420 relative tothe housing 32 when the dirt cup 20 has been removed from the rearhousing, the securing means 424 may include a resilient finger 440 cthat contacts the body portion 442 b of an associated peg 442 to inhibitrotation of the filter flange 420 unless a force in excess of apredetermined force has been applied to rotate the filter flange 420 ina desired rotational direction relative to the housing 32.

In FIG. 20, the primary filter 414 may have a filter body 450 with firstand second seal portions 452 and 454, respectively, disposed on oppositesides thereof. The filter body 450 may have a shape that is similar tothat of the prefilter body 422 (FIG. 19) and in the example provided, isillustrated to have a truncated cone shape. The filter body 450 may beformed from any appropriate filter media, such as paper, plastic orfabric and is preferably formed with a plurality of pleats 460. Alsopreferably, the filter media is wear resistant or includes a wearresistant outer layer 462. Furthermore, the filter body 450 ispreferably formed from a filter media that provides HEPA or ULPAfiltration. One such suitable filter media is manufactured by W. L. Gore& Associates, a Delaware Corporation having a place of business inElkton, Md.

In the example provided, the pleats 460 are formed such that their outerends or peaks 464 lie along a straight line that intersects the axis ofa theoretical cone (not shown) that includes the peak 464 of each pleat460 on the filter body 450. Alternatively, the pleats 460 may be formedsuch that their peaks 464 are straight but skewed to the axis of thetheoretical cone or generally helical in shape. For reasons that will beapparent from the discussion below, however, the pleats 460 should beformed relative to the theoretical cone in a manner that is consistentwith the ribs 436 on the interior surface 438 of the filter housing 432.

The first seal portion 452, which is coupled to the smaller end of thefilter body 450, may be a plate-like structure that is formed from asuitable material and is sealingly bonded to a lower end of the filterbody 450. Alternatively, the first seal portion 452 may be wholly orpartially formed from an appropriate filter material, such as thematerial from which the filter body 450 is manufactured, and bonded orotherwise sealingly coupled to the filter body 450.

The second seal portion 454 may be an annular flange that may besealingly bonded to an upper end of the filter body 450. With additionalreference to FIGS. 12 and 21, the second seal portion 454 may include abody 470 that defines a receiving aperture 472, a primary seal 474 whichis disposed about the perimeter of the receiving aperture 472 and sizedto sealingly engage the seal engaging portion 308 of the cleaning wheel300 (FIG. 15), a secondary seal 476 that sealingly engages the interiorsurface 438 of the prefilter body 422 of the prefilter 412, and aplurality of drive tabs 478. The drive tabs 478, which extend radiallyoutward and are circumferentially spaced apart from one another, areconfigured to engage the drive tabs 316 that are formed on the filterdrive portion 306 of the cleaning wheel 300.

With the primary filter 414 installed to the cleaning wheel 300 suchthat the primary seal 474 sealingly engages the seal engaging portion308 and the drive tabs 316 and 478 are meshingly engaged with oneanother, the prefilter 412 may be positioned over the primary filter 414such that the first portion 440 a of the through-holes 204 in the filterflange 420 are aligned to the pegs 442 on the housing 32. The prefilter412 may be urged toward the housing 32 such that the pegs 442 are fittedthrough the through-holes 204 and thereafter the prefilter 412 isrotated to position the pegs 442 within the second portion 440 b of thethrough-holes 204. With the dirt cup 20 coupled to the housing assembly14, the prefilter locating tabs 58 urge the filter flange 420 rearwardlytoward the front face 188 of the housing 32 so that the secondary seal476 sealingly engages the prefilter body 422 of the prefilter 412.

While the primary filter 414 has been illustrated and described asincluding first and second seal portions 452 and 454 which are bondeddirectly to the filter body 450, the primary filter 414 may be formed invarious other manners. For example, the primary filter 414 may include apair of discretely formed, caps 480 a and 480 b as illustrated in FIGS.40 and 41. The cap 480 a may be generally cup shaped, with a closed top482 and a side wall 484 with a plurality of teeth 486 formed about theinside perimeter of the side wall 484. The cap 480 b may be an annularring that similarly includes a plurality of teeth 488 formed about itsinside perimeter. The caps 480 a, 480 b may be secured to the oppositeends of the filter body 450 through an adhesive, heat staking or sonicwelding, for example, so that the teeth 486 and 488 of the caps 480 aand 480 b meshingly engage the pleats 460 of the filter media. The firstseal portion 452 may be integrally formed with, molded onto or bonded tothe annular cap 480 b. The second seal portion 454 is optional in thisembodiment, as the cap 480 a may be formed with a closed configuration,rather than the annular shape of the cap 480 b.

The embodiment of FIGS. 42 and 43 is similar to that discussed above inthat it likewise employs a pair of discretely formed caps 480 c and 480d. However, the teeth 486 and 488 are formed on the exterior surfaces ofthe caps 480 c and 486 d so as to meshingly engage the pleats 460 fromthe interior of the filter body 450.

The embodiment of FIGS. 44 and 45 employs a pair of ring sets 490 and492. The ring set 490 may include an outer ring 490 a, which may besimilar to the cap 480 a, and an inner ring 490 b, which may be similarto the cap 480 c. The outer and inner rings 490 a and 490 b areassembled to the filter body 450 such that the filter media issandwiched therebetween and secured to the filter body 450 and/or to oneanother via an adhesive, heat staking or sonic welding, for example.Likewise, the ring set 492 includes an outer ring 492 a, which may besimilar to the cap 480 b, and an inner ring 492 b, which may be similarto the cap 480 d. The outer and inner rings 492 a and 492 b areassembled to the filter body 450 such that the filter media issandwiched therebetween. The outer and inner rings 492 a and 492 b aresecured to the filter body 450 and/or to one another via an adhesive,heat staking or sonic welding, for example.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 8, when the vacuum 10 a is operated, thefan assembly 72 expels air from the fan housing 92 which creates anegative pressure differential relative to atmospheric conditions andcauses a dirt and debris laden air flow to rush into the dirt cup 20through the inlet port 54. When coupled to the inlet port 54, the elbow22 directs the dirt and debris laden air that is flowing through theinlet port 54 toward the interior wall of the dirt cup 20, causing thedirt and debris laden air to swirl about the interior of the dirt cup.In the particular example provided, the outlet 500 of the elbow 22 isconfigured to direct the dirt and debris laden air flow in a directionto the side and rear of the dirt cup 20. Those of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate from this disclosure, however, that the elbow 22 maybe configured to direct the dirt and debris laden air flow in adirection generally transverse to the inlet port 54, that the outlet 500of the elbow 22 may or may not lie in the same “plane” as the inlet port54 (i.e., the centerline of the elbow 22 at the outlet 500 may or maynot lie in a plane that is contains the centerline of the inlet port 54)and that any portion of the elbow 22 between the outlet 22 and the inletport 54 may be formed with a desired shape (e.g., helical) to enhancethe swirling effect produced by the elbow 22 and the dirt cup 20.

In some situations, the swirling effect may be so strong as to createcentrifugal force that causes the dirt and debris to move outwardlytoward and collect against the dirt cup 20. The swirling effect may alsoslow the collection of dirt and debris on the prefilter 412 and theprimary filter 414 to thereby provide improved efficiency of the vacuum10 a. Improved efficiency is particularly important with cordlessvacuums, as it permits extended operation on a given battery charge.Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate in view ofthis disclosure that the swirling effect may not be desirable under somecircumstances and as such, the elbow 22 may be removable from the inletport 54.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 12, 19 and 20, the vacuum 10 a may beadditionally and further maintained in an efficient state by rotatingthe cleaning wheel 300 as needed or at a desired interval when theimpeller 90 is not rotating to at least partially clear accumulated dirtand debris from the pleats 460 of the primary filter 414. Morespecifically, as the primary filter may be coupled to the cleaning wheel300, rotation of the cleaning wheel 300 causes contact between the ribs436 and an associated set of the pleats 460 which may deflect the pleats460 and vibrate the pleats 460 after the pleat 460 has rotated past therib 436. The force of the impact, the deflection of the pleat 460 andits subsequent vibration may cooperate to dislodge particles of dirt anddebris from both the prefilter 412 and the primary filter 414.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure thatvarious modifications may be made to the prefilter 412 to aid indischarging dirt and debris that are dislodged from the primary filter414 and/or to slow the rate with which the pleats 460 of the primaryfilter 414 wear. For example, the prefilter 412 may be constructed withone or more apertures 5000 as shown in FIGS. 46 and 47. The apertures5000 are relatively larger than the filtering apertures 434 so that dirtand debris that are dislodged from the primary filter 414 (FIG. 20)during cleaning, e.g., rotation of the cleaning wheel 300 (FIG. 15), maymore readily fall through the prefilter body 422 and collect in the dirtcup 20 (FIG. 1). In the example of FIG. 48, the prefilter body 422 isconstructed such that at least a portion of the ribs 436 are shiftedalong the longitudinal axis of the prefilter body 422. In the particularexample provided, each of the ribs 436 is shifted so that no two ribs436 contact the same area of the pleats 460 (FIG. 20).

Returning to FIGS. 1 and 3, the tool set 10 b may include a brush tool500 and a crevice tool 502 that may be fixedly but removably engaged tothe front end of the inlet port 54 via a friction fit. Unlike the knownconfigurations of accessories, the brush tool 500 and crevice tool 502each employ a body portion 504 having first and second portions 506 and508 with a U-shaped aperture 510 formed therebetween. The U-shapedaperture 510 permits a relatively large degree of flexure between thefirst and second portions 506 and 508 so as to ensure high qualityfriction fit and associated seal between the body portion 504 and inletport 54 of the dirt cup 20.

In the particular example provided, the brush tool 500 may be stored ina cavity 518 formed in the rear of the housing 32, while the crevicetool 502 may be coupled to a bottom face 520 of the housing 32. One ormore resilient clips 522 may be employed to retain the particularaccessory to the housing 32.

With reference to FIG. 22, the recharging base 75 is illustrated inassociation with the vacuum 10 a. The recharging base 75 may include abase 1000, a charging circuit 1002, a pair of terminals 1004 and a key1006. The base 1000 may be a molded structure and may be configured toslidably receive the vacuum 10 a such that a pair of mating terminals1014 and a mating key 1016 matingly engage the terminals 1004 and thekey 1006, respectively. The charging circuit 1002 may be configured in aconventional and well known manner to receive electrical power from asource of A.C. power and provide a source of D.C. power of apredetermined voltage to the terminals 1004.

In the particular example provided, the terminals 1004, which may bemounted to the base 1000, may extend outwardly from the base 1000 so asto contact associated ones of the mating terminals 1014 when the vacuum10 a is fully received into the base 1000. As the terminals 1014 areelectrically coupled to the battery pack 74, contact between theterminals 1004 and 1014 permits electrical energy to be transmitted fromthe charging circuit 1002 to the batteries 100.

The key 1006 and the mating key 1016 coordinate with one another topermit the base 1000 to fully receive the vacuum 10 a. In the particularexample provided, the key 1006 includes a pedestal 1028, a flange 1030and optionally one or more engagement tabs 1032, while the mating key1016 includes a receiver 1040. The pedestal 1028 of the key 1006 may becoupled to the base 1000 in any conventional manner, including forexample, threaded fasteners and/or features that are integrally formedonto and/or into the pedestal 1028 and base 1000 that permit thepedestal 1028 and the base 1000 to be engaged to one another in asnap-fit manner. The flange 1030 may be coupled to the pedestal 1028,extending upwardly therefrom so as to protrude from a correspondingaperture 1036 in the base 1000 when the key 1006 and the base 1000 arecoupled to one another. If employed, the engagement tabs 1032 extendfrom the flange 1030 in the example provided.

The receiver 1040 may be coupled to the housing 32 in any conventionalmanner, including for example, threaded fasteners and/or features thatare integrally formed onto and/or into the receiver 1040 and housing 32that permit the receiver 1040 and the housing 32 to be engaged to oneanother in a snap-fit manner. The receiver 1040 of the mating key 1016may optionally include one or more slots 1042 for receiving theengagement tabs 1032. The engagement tabs 1032 and slots 1042 arepositioned such that they must engage one another before the terminals1020 and 1022 may contact one another. Those of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate from this disclosure that although the vacuum 10 ahas been described thus far as including slots 1042 for receivingengagement tabs 1032 that are associated with the recharging base 75,the slots 1042 and engagement tabs 1032 may alternatively be associatedwith the recharging base 75 and the vacuum 10 a, respectively.

With reference to FIG. 23, the interchangeable nature of the chargingsystem of the present invention is illustrated. Specifically, severalterminal block (1004) and key (i.e., 1006 a, 1006 b, 1006 c, 1006 d, and1006 e) combinations are illustrated as being interchangeable with thebase 1000, while several receivers (1040 a, 1040 b, 1040 c, 1040 d, and1040 e) are illustrated in association with the vacuum 10 a.Significantly, the injection molds for each of the key and the receiveremploy exchangeable tooling segments that permit the molds to be readilyconverted so that they may be employed to form each of the various keyconfigurations and receiver configurations. With reference to FIG. 24,five tooling segments 1050 a, 1050 b, 1050 c, 1050 d and 1050 e areemployed in conjunction with a base mold 1052 to produce each of thereceiver combinations.

One especially significant aspect of providing various key and matingkey combinations is the ability to provide a family of similar vacuumshaving different batteries (i.e., different voltages) yet which utilizeas many common components as possible. In this regard, the various keyand mating key combinations are employed to “key” a particular vacuum toa particular recharging base so as to prevent a vacuum from beingcoupled to a recharging base having a charging circuit that provides acharging voltage in excess of that which the batteries of the vacuum aredesigned to be charged.

With reference to FIG. 25, a family of hand-held cordless vacuums isgenerally indicated by reference numeral 2000. The family of vacuums2000 includes vacuums 2002 a, 2004 a, 2006 a, 2008 a and 2010 a, whichare associated with recharging bases 2002 b, 2004 b, 2006 b, 2008 b and2010 b, respectively. The vacuums 2002 a, 2004 a and 2006 a aregenerally identical to vacuum 10 a and differ from one another only inthe design charging voltage of their respective battery packs 74. Forexample, the vacuum 2002 a may have a design charging voltage of 14.4volts, the vacuum 2004 a may have a design charging voltage of 12 voltsand the vacuum 2006 a may have a design charging voltage of 9.6 volts.The vacuums 2008 a and 2010 a are similar to the vacuum 10 a (FIG. 1)except that they lack a filter cleaning system 36 and may have designcharging voltages of 7.2 volts and 4.8 volts, respectively. Therecharging bases 2002 b, 2004 b, 2006 b, 2008 b and 2010 b are generallyidentical to the recharging base 75 (FIG. 1) and differ from one anotheronly in the charging voltage that they output.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure, therecharging bases (i.e., the keys) may be configured so that they willonly engage one vacuum (i.e., mating key). However, it is permissiblefor a recharging base (i.e., key) to receive more than one type ofvacuum (i.e., mating key) so long as the charging voltage provided bythe recharging base will not exceed the design charging voltage of anyvacuum that may be engaged thereto. In the particular example provided,any member of the family of vacuums 2000 may be engaged to therecharging base 2010 b. Furthermore, the vacuum 2004 a may also beengaged to the charging bases 2004 b, 2006 b, and 2008 b.

While the vacuum 10 a has been described thus far as employing an elbowto impart a swirling action to an incoming dirt and debris laden airflow and a manually rotatable cleaning wheel for use in dislodgingparticles of dirt and debris from a filter, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the invention, in its broader aspects, may beconstructed somewhat differently. For example, the vacuum 10 c mayemploy one or more vanes to swirl the incoming dirt and debris laden airflow as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. In this example, the vacuum 10 c isidentical to the vacuum 10 a described above, except that the elbow 22(FIG. 3) is not employed and a prefilter 412 c has been substituted forthe prefilter 412. The prefilter 412 c is substantially similar to theprefilter 412, except for the inclusion of a plurality of flow guidingvanes 600 on the front wall 430 c of the prefilter body 422 c. The flowguiding vanes 600 are disposed axially in-line with the inlet port 54 csuch that the axially directed incoming dirt and debris laden air flowis turned by the flow guiding vanes 600 outwardly toward the interiorsurface of the wall of the dirt cup 20 c. As with the elbow 22, the flowguiding vanes 600 may be configured aggressively, wherein the entireflow is turned outwardly at the interior surface of the dirt cup 20 c,or somewhat less aggressively, wherein the flow is turned outwardly butretains a portion of its original axial velocity.

As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from thisdisclosure, vanes 600 d for swirling the incoming dirt and debris ladenair flow may be additionally or alternatively formed on another surface,such as the exterior surface 620 of the side wall 432 d of the prefilter412 d, as illustrated in FIG. 28.

Alternatively, the vacuum 10 e may be configured as is shown in FIGS. 29and 30. In this embodiment, the housing assembly 14 e defines a filterrecess 700 into which the filter system 34 e is disposed. The filtersystem 34 e includes a hat-shaped prefilter 412 e and a hat-shapedprimary filter 414 e. The prefilter 412 e includes a filter flange 420 eand a prefilter body 422 e, while the primary filter 414 e includes afilter flange 710 and a filter body 712. A nozzle 720 is pivotallycoupled to the housing assembly 14 e and unlike the dirt cup 20 of FIG.1, the nozzle 720 has no capacity for the storage of the dirt and debristhat is drawn up by the vacuum 10 e. Rather, coarse dirt and debris areretained in the prefilter 412 e while finer dirt and debris which passthrough the prefilter 412 e are contained by the primary filter 414 e.Pivoting of the nozzle 720 into the closed position causes the nozzle720 to compress the filter flange 420 e and filter flange 710 againstone another such that a seal is formed between the nozzle 720 and thehousing assembly 14 e.

The nozzle 720 includes an outlet 730 that directs an incoming flow ofdirt and debris laden air tangentially into the prefilter 412 e, therebygenerating a swirling effect that tends to reduce the accumulation ofdirt and debris against the side wall 432 e of the prefilter 412 e. Thisconfiguration is highly advantageous in that it permits the user to notonly perform vacuuming operations with a single hand, but also to emptythe vacuum 10 e of dirt and debris with a single hand. Morespecifically, the user need only access the latch release 38 to unlatchthe nozzle 720 from the housing assembly 14 e to permit the nozzle 720to pivot into the open condition. A detent (not specifically shown) maybe employed to retain the nozzle 720 in the open condition. The userneed only grasp the handle 168 of the housing assembly 14 e and overturnthe vacuum 10 e to empty the contents of the prefilter 412 e.

As is apparent from the discussion above, rotation of the cleaning wheel300 when the impeller 90 is rotating renders the cleaning actionrelatively less effective (as compared to when the impeller 90 is notrotating) since dirt and debris that are dislodged when the cleaningwheel 300 is rotated tends to be immediately drawn back into the primaryfilter 414. Accordingly, it is within the scope of the present inventionto include with the vacuum 10 a a device that either locks the cleaningwheel 300 or electrically disables the fan assembly 72 when the cleaningwheel 300 is rotated. In FIG. 31, a lock-out device 800 is illustratedto be coupled to the power switch 76 for translation therewith. When thepower switch 76 is activated, a lock-out member 802 translates intolocking engagement with one of the circumferentially spaced apartrecesses 310 in the gripping portion 302 of the cleaning wheel 300 toprevent the cleaning wheel 300 from being rotated. In FIG. 32, a sensor850 is employed to detect the rotation of the cleaning wheel 300relative to the housing 32 and generate a sensor signal in responsethereto. In the particular example provided, the sensor 850 includes apair of spaced apart contacts 850 a and 850 b which are normally not incontact with one another but which are urged into electrical contactwith one another by actuating features 852 that are formed on thecleaning wheel 300. In response to receipt of the sensor signal, acontroller 860 is employed to inhibit the flow of electricity from thebatteries 100 to the motor 70 to thereby deactivate the fan assembly 72.In the example provided, the controller 860 employs a conventional relay862 to inhibit the flow of electricity from the batteries 100 to themotor 70. In this latter embodiment, the controller 860 may include atimer 864 which maintains the motor 70 in a deactivated state for apredetermined amount of time after receipt of the sensor signal.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 34 and 35, the cleaning wheel is illustratedto be driven by a motor rather than manually operated. In FIG. 34, aclutch 900 having an input shaft 902, which is coupled to the outputshaft 88 of the motor 70, a first output shaft 904, to which theimpeller 90 is coupled for rotation therewith, and a second output shaft906, which is concentric with the first output shaft 904, which ismeshingly engaged with an idler gear 908. A shaft 910 couples an outputpinion 912, which is meshingly engaged with teeth 310 g formed on thecleaning wheel 300 g, for rotation with the idler gear 908. The clutch900 is normally operable in first condition, wherein rotary power istransmitted to the first output shaft 904 but not the second outputshaft 906, and a second condition, wherein rotary power is transmittedto the second output shaft 906 but not the first output shaft 904. Theclutch 900 is preferably electronically controlled, so that the userneed only press a button to change the condition of the clutch 900 fromthe first condition to the second condition (such as by translating thepower switch 76 (FIG. 3) in a direction opposite that which is normallyemployed to actuate the vacuum 10 a). As noted above, the clutch 900 isnormally operable in the first condition, so that when the button isreleased, the clutch 1900 will revert to the first condition. In theembodiment of FIG. 35, a second motor 950 is employed to rotate thecleaning wheel 300.

While the invention has been described in the specification andillustrated in the drawings with reference to various embodiments, itwill be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/orfunctions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated hereinso that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from thisdisclosure that features, elements and/or functions of one embodimentmay be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unlessdescribed otherwise, above. Moreover, many modifications may be made toadapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of theinvention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore,it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particularembodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in thespecification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying outthis invention, but that the invention will include any embodimentsfalling within the foregoing description and the appended claims.

1. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: a housing; a dirt cup havingan inlet and defining a container for storage of dirt and debristherein, the dirt cup being removably attached to the housing; animpeller at least partially disposed in the housing; a HEPA filterdisposed between the impeller and the inlet, the HEPA filter beingformed with a plurality of pleats; means for swirling the incoming airabout the dirt cup; and a filter cleaning device coupled to at least oneof the housing and the dirt cup, the filter cleaning device including atleast one rib and a hub, the hub being coupled to one of the HEPA filterand the rib and configured to rotate the one of the HEPA filter and therib about the other one of the HEPA filter to generate contact betweenthe rib and the HEPA filter to at least partially dislodge accumulateddirt and debris from the pleats.
 2. The hand-held vacuum of claim 1,wherein the swirling means includes a flow deflector associated with theinlet of the dirt cup.
 3. The hand-held vacuum of claim 2, wherein theflow deflector is an elbow.
 4. The hand-held vacuum of claim 1, whereinthe swirling means includes a plurality of vanes disposed in an axiallyspaced relation to the inlet.
 5. The hand-held vacuum of claim 4,wherein the vanes are associated with a prefilter, the vanes beingdisposed between the inlet and the HEPA filter.
 6. The hand-held vacuumof claim 1, wherein the hub includes a gripping portion that extendsthrough the housing and is manually rotatable.
 7. A hand-held portablevacuum comprising: a housing; an impeller at least partially disposed inthe housing; a dirt cup having an inlet and defining a container forstorage of dirt and debris therein, the dirt cup being removablyattached to the housing; and a HEPA filter disposed between the impellerand the inlet.
 8. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 7, wherein theHEPA filter is formed with a plurality of pleats.
 9. The hand-heldportable vacuum of claim 8, further comprising a filter cleaning deviceassociated with at least one of the housing and the dirt cup, the filtercleaning device including at least one rib and a hub, the hub beingcoupled to one of the HEPA filter and the rib and configured to rotatethe one of the HEPA filter and the rib about the other one of the HEPAfilter to generate contact between the rib and the HEPA filter to atleast partially dislodge accumulated dirt and debris from the pleats.10. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 9, wherein the hub isrotatably coupled to the housing.
 11. The hand-held portable vacuum ofclaim 10, wherein the HEPA filter is sealingly attached to the hub. 12.The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 10, wherein the hub includes aplurality of drive tabs that meshingly engage a plurality of drive tabsformed on the HEPA filter.
 13. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim10, further comprising a prefilter, the prefilter having a prefilterbody that surrounds the HEPA filter, the prefilter body having an openend which is sealingly engaged with the HEPA filter.
 14. The hand-heldportable vacuum of claim 10, further comprising a prefilter, theprefilter having a prefilter body that surrounds the HEPA filter, therib extending from an interior surface of the prefilter body.
 15. Thehand-held portable vacuum of claim 7, further comprising a prefilter,the prefilter having a prefilter body that surrounds the HEPA filter 16.The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 15, wherein the prefilter bodyhas an open end and the prefilter and HEPA filter are sealingly engagedto close the open end.
 17. A method for filtering a dirt and debrisladen air flow, the method comprising: providing a hand-held vacuum witha housing, an impeller, an inlet, a container and a primary filter, thehousing including a handle that permits a user to employ the hand-heldvacuum for vacuuming with a single hand, the impeller being disposedwithin the housing, the inlet being configured to receive the dirt anddebris laden air flow therethrough, the container being configured toretain dirt and debris removed from the dirt and debris laden air flowand the primary filter being disposed between the impeller and theinlet; rotating the impeller to generate the dirt and debris laden airflow; and swirling the dirt and debris laden air flow about the interiorof the container.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprisingremoving the container from the housing to empty the container.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the container and the inlet are fixedlycoupled to one another.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprisingpivoting the inlet relative to the housing to gain access to thecontainer.
 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising rotating thehousing with the single hand grasping the handle to overturn the vacuumand empty the container.
 22. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: ahousing having a handle; a dirt cup having an inlet and defining acontainer for storage of dirt and debris therein, the dirt cup beingremovably attached to the housing; an impeller at least partiallydisposed in the housing; a filter disposed between the impeller and theinlet, the filter being formed with a plurality of pleats; a filtercleaning device coupled to at least one of the housing and the dirt cup,the filter cleaning device including at least one rib and a hub, the hubbeing coupled to one of the filter and the rib and configured to rotatethe one of the filter and the rib about the other one of the filter togenerate contact between the rib and the filter to at least partiallydislodge accumulated dirt and debris from the pleats.
 23. The hand-heldvacuum of claim 22, wherein the hub is rotatably coupled to the housing.24. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 23, wherein the hub includesa gripping portion that extends through the housing and is manuallyrotatable.
 25. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 23, wherein thefilter is sealingly attached to the hub.
 26. The hand-held portablevacuum of claim 23, wherein the hub includes a plurality of drive tabsthat meshingly engage a plurality of drive tabs formed on the filter.27. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 23, further comprising aprefilter with a prefilter body that surrounds the filter, the prefilterbody having an open end which is sealingly engaged with the filter, therib extending from an interior surface of the prefilter body.
 28. Thehand-held portable vacuum of claim 27, wherein the prefilter body has anopen end and the prefilter and filter are sealingly engaged to close theopen end.
 29. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 27, wherein theprefilter body has a truncated cone shape.
 30. The hand-held portablevacuum of claim 29, wherein the filter has a truncated cone shape. 31.The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 22, wherein the filter has atruncated cone shape.
 32. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: ahousing having a handle; a dirt cup having an inlet and defining acontainer for storage of dirt and debris therein, the dirt cup beingremovably attached to the housing; an impeller at least partiallydisposed in the housing, the impeller being operable for generating anair flow that flows through the inlet; a filter disposed between theimpeller and the inlet; and means for swirling the air flow about thedirt cup.
 33. The hand-held vacuum of claim 32, wherein the swirlingmeans includes a flow deflector associated with the inlet of the dirtcup.
 34. The hand-held vacuum of claim 33, wherein the flow deflector isan elbow.
 35. The hand-held vacuum of claim 32, wherein the swirlingmeans includes a plurality of vanes disposed in an axially spacedrelation to the inlet.
 36. The hand-held vacuum of claim 35, wherein thevanes are associated with a prefilter, the vanes being disposed betweenthe inlet and the filter.
 37. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: ahousing having a handle; a dirt cup having an inlet and defining acontainer for storage of dirt and debris therein, the dirt cup beingremovably attached to the housing; an impeller at least partiallydisposed in the housing, the impeller being operable for generating anair flow that flows through the inlet; a filter disposed between theimpeller and the inlet; and a flow deflector associated with the inletof the dirt cup, the flow deflector being configured to direct the airflow toward an interior surface of the dirt cup in a manner that causesdirt and debris entrained in the air flow to swirl about the interiorsurface of the dirt cup.
 38. The hand-held vacuum of claim 37, whereinthe flow deflector is an elbow that is coupled to the inlet.